13601/Dashing Through The Slow...

Dashing Through The Slow...
Date of Scene:	18 December 2022
Location:	Open Eye Coffeehouse
Synopsis:	Caleb and his sister end up running into Divine and Joan at the coffee shop. They also get to see Bailey Bot rewrap a gift. Sorry. She's not for sale.
Cast of Characters:	Joan Wright, Divine, Caleb Dykstra

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Joan Wright has posed:
Of the days of the week, Sunday is considered typically one of the calmest ones. A lot of stores have shortened hours on Sunday, allowing people to have the remaining hours of their weekend spent in the comfort of their own home.

Peace and calm.

Except this Sunday is a week before Christmas which means. LAST MINUTE SHOPPERS. The sidewalks are crowded with the bustle of shoppers trying to get the final names marked off their list. Stress is high and there might be a few people who have heard 'Last Christmas' one too many times this season.

This is what leads to the large amount of people in the Open Eye Coffeehouse near Gotham University. With the madness outside, sometimes one needs to take shelter and what better place than where a nice cup of hot cocoa can be enjoyed?

This is exactly what one Joan Wright is doing. A steaming cup of cocoa is set in front of her along with a comically sized sugar cookie with the industry smiled upon dash of green sprinkles adorning it. While not using up all four of the seats at the table she's located at, Joan is not quite alone as it appears a tiny bot with pink tinged manipulators seems to rest on the chair next to her. The bot gives a slight little whrr as she reaches up to a wrapped package set on the table before her.

Joan glances over. "That's not for you, Bailey."

Divine has posed:
Gotham is weird, Divine thinks to herself as she moves through the crowd. It's darker, even during the day, and somehow less friendly than New York. This confuses the clone, who isn't great at people anyway. She doesn't quite tower over everyone as she meanders down the street, a thoughtful look on her face that could be confused for a scowl. This gives her a bit of a berth, though the doubletakes are many. It's not too often that someone who is a dead ringer for Power Girl with a dye job wanders through the streets.

It's less often that they wander into the Open Eye, following the delicious smell of expertly roasted beans and fantastic baked goods. She's dressed in a black wool peacoat over what appear to be leggings and nearly knee high combat boots. She waits in line politely.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Entering the Coffeehouse, is a young girl about ten years old, all smiles and cheers on the possibility of getting some hot cocoa. Following behind, is a young man carrying a few bags, though they're not really colorful bags reflecting the season's spirit. No, these look like your average duffel bags, where you could put in the widest variety of things, Christmas presents or otherwise. He glances around, possibly looking for a spot for two people, but quickly returns his attention towards the girl.

Now, this girl is so enthusiastic that she buds through the spaces in the line - and bumping into people - to check out the display with tasties and pastries. The young man looks disapprovingly. "Sheila...", he says with the patience of a parent - which might exceed that of a saint, at this point -, "could you please wait and not bump into people? It's rude."

The young girl looks at Caleb, happiness and antecipation in her eyes. Another accidental bump on someone.

"You know, if you're this hyper, then maybe you don't need any more sugar", and he points to a place at his side, annoyance in his eyes.

The girl goes silent, maybe a little pale at the thought of having her sugar-y dreams crushed, and moves to the appointed space, now silent.

He apologizes to the people in the line. "Sorry..." And waits in line.

Joan Wright has posed:
RIP!

Joan blinks, looking over to the wrapped present finding a gash to expose the box underneath. "Bailey!"

The pink adorned bot flails her manipulators in protest before crossing them.

"Now the package is ripped. We'll have to fix that before we give that gift now." The architect frowns as she considers the new predicament of the partially opened present she was planning to drop off later. But then again. Coffee shops tend to sell seasonal ite-

Joan's glance shifts over to the register area where a small display of wrapping odds and ends are on display with the price outlined on a white print out. Desparate times...

Giving a sigh, Joan pulls a wallet out of her pocket, fishing out a few bills and looks to the bot. "Ok. You're going to make up for that. Go to the register and purchase one of those wrapping paper sheets they're selling, and some tape."

The tiny bot floats up, prongs taking the money while the second manipulator bends, giving a brief salute. In a flash the bot flies forward to the display before making a beeline to the register.

"Wait your turn!"

The bot comes to a sudden stop, rotates to look to the table before floating dejectedly to the back of the line.

Divine has posed:
Divine is bumped into by a sugar-crazed child. She looks down and smiles gently, not at all perturbed by this. She's been bumped into a lot today, and this is not an issue. Though Sheila might be confused because bumping into the tall woman is like hitting some kind of fleshy, immovable wall.

Luckily, the line moves, and the clone steps up to order. Surprisingly, she orders something insane with all kinds of caramel and chocolate syrup with whipped cream. No soy, no almond, no half or no fat. This thing has enough calories in it to feed a small child for three days, and Divine doesn't flinch.

She steps out of line to wait for her warm and delicious beverage, peering at the floating robot, her eyes squinted slightly in suspicion.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
The little girl is silent, though she gives Divine a surprised look. She keeps quiet for a bit, but her need to talk quickly overpowers her, and she turns to her brother, "That la...", she's about to say, /but/.

At the sight of Bailey coming over to the end of the line, there's surprise in the two siblings' expressions. That surprise quickly turns into excitement for Sheila, as she begins to squee and making puppy-dog eyes. On the other hand, the young man's expression turns into dread. 'Oh, no...!' is mouthed. All because, 3... 2... 1...

"CALEB!!", she frantically points to the flying bot. "Do you see!?? It's a flying robot!"

"Yes Sheila, it is." He squeezes her hand to keep quiet. Now, everybody in the shop knows he's named 'Caleb'. And that he's about to shift color. "And before you say it... No, we can't get one for Christmas. Now be quiet!" He starts having a look at the pastries. Much preferring to be invisible, at this point.

Joan Wright has posed:
Having secured her position in the back of the line, the bot lingers, money in one appendage and a sheet of wrapping paper and roll of scotch tape situated in the other.

Seeing Bailey wait her turn like requested, Joan gives a small smile before sipping her cocoa. And then the yelling draws her attention back to the end of the line. Oh dear.

Alerted by Sheila's expression, Bailey lowers herself coming more level with Sheila's line of sight. There's a shuffling of the items in ha- err, manipulators and once one is freed, it's used to mimic a wave of hello to the younger girl along with a rather cheerful sounding chirp. Such a friendly bot. Getting a sense of being watched, the bot turns and extends the wave to Divine as well.

Divine has posed:
For a long moment, the clone was considering whether or not the robot was a threat. Trying to decide whether to zorch it with eye beams or not. When it waves, her cheeks turn a little red, and she mumbles under her breath. "C-cute..."

It's about then that her name is called by a barista. She doesn't even give a fake name. The barista calls out 'Divine' and she answers and gets the cup. It's a horrorshow of warm sugar that the clone begins to sip with gusto. She retreats out of the way the best she can and begins to just people watch.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Caleb, look!", the little girl exclaims when Bailey makes her approach. She giggles, and then waves.

When Caleb turns his head back to watch, he gasps and involuntarily holds out a protective arm over Sheila. After a couple seconds examining it, he provides a wave of his own. Even a little smile. "You're a cute lil' critter, aren't you?" The nicety of the bot, the cuteness it bears, now makes him sad that he can't get one of those for his sister.

He sighs, looking back to the display, ordering what he knew beforehand they would get, Sheila now being entertained trying to interact some more with Bailey. His eyes land on Divine, and he frowns some as flashes of a recent skirmish where Power Girl was involved come to mind. And this woman... "I-I'm sorry... You look familiar. Have we met?"

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan watches the exchange going between the siblings and the bot. "Her name is Bailey." Joan offers over to the small gathering, keeping watch upon the table that will likely be needed for the emergency wrapping.

There's a chirp as the free manipulator moves towards the front of what could be termed the 'face' of the bot before the tip turns, giving a single wave to Caleb for the comment. Sheila's attempts to get Bailey's attention causes for the bot to turn back to her. The wrapping paper is held up in explanation to the goal at hand. Once the cashier is free, she zoots up to set the wrapping paper, tape, and money down on the counter.

Divine has posed:
Caleb approaches Divine mid sip of what is basically vaguely coffee flavored syrup. She peers at him with icy blue eyes, questioning. She swallows the 'coffee' and looks him up and down, trying to remember.

"I don't think so," she says finally. "I think you have me mistaken for Pow--Someone else. We haven't met, unless you work for Miss Frost, or something."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
The young man shakes his head when he hears the name 'Miss Frost'. In his mind races a list of contacts of people his 'boss' had him make deliveries to, and comes up with nothing. "Nope, never heard of her." He shrugs, "My bad. Sorry." Still, the feeling somewhat lingers, even if dialed down.

When Joan speaks, he turns his attention to her. He chuckles, gesturing towards the bot (whom Sheila can't take her attention off, it seems). "I guess the future's now, huh? Some new production to be launched this Christmas?"

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan shakes her head to the question. "Oh Bailey's more family. But there are some models out there by Kord Industries. Not as companion bots but more for doing things like maintenance and emergency repair work."

Having made her purchase, the bot swipes the coin change into a take a penny leave a penny tray before collecting the bill money and purchases. With a quick zoot, the bot is soon at the table once more, setting the wrapping materials down next to the partly opened present.

Divine has posed:
The clone shrugs when Caleb realizes he doesn't know her. Of course, she has spent too much time with Emma Frost to not be sassy about things. Divine just adds a little bit, because secrets are silly.

"I know you thought I was Power Girl. I'm not her, but you could say we're almost family."

With that cryptic note, she downs the rest of the coffee syrup and throws the cup away. Presents won't buy themselves, so she starts heading back out to the street, wading through the crowd and melding into the sea of winter coats.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Power Girl?

Well being a Gothamite, Caleb is not so often exposed to the superhero world as others normally would be. But you can't help but recognize the luck you have when someone shields you from bullets when a deal between mobs goes sour.

A funny thing on Power Girl, though: last Halloween, Sheila gave him a headache when she picked Power Girl for costume, to which it was a resounding, reverberating 'NO!'; in the end, her pleas fell through deaf ears, and she had to settle for something more modest, or no trick or treating. Eventually, Bat-heroes won! But you might be wondering how this brief flashback of exposition serves the current scene, to which the answer now comes presented to you in the form of Sheila's ears perking up, and point at Divine.

"S-She painted her hair, Caleb!! You met her and didn't tell me??", she looks disappointed.

Caleb must be ready for divinity now, for his patience has reached those levels for sure. "Oh, yeah..." He smiles somewhat to Divine, "Well, if you do happen to see her, tell her thanks on my behalf, though she likely has no idea who I am." To Sheila, he says, "We have to respect privacy, kiddo. You should know better."

She's about to say something, but Caleb's span of attention to her means it's not up for debate, and the girl tones it down.

Returning his attention to Joan, he comments, "Uhh... They must be expensive, no?"

Joan Wright has posed:
As Caleb brings up the question of cost, Joan gives an apologetic smile before nodding in confirmation. "Maybe in time with more development the costs can go lower but right now... You won't have to worry about the other kids in school having one already." And yet there is one unwrapping the torn paper from a present situated next to her. The ribbon is being gently moved to the side before the new sheet of wrapping paper is taken out of its protective plastic.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb Dykstra smirks some, then nods. "As I assumed it would be." He sighs, "Well, thank god for small favors, since I doubt we'll ever be able to afford one, period." More could be said, but he cuts off on the explanation. He gets the order, and looks for a table - that's when his eyes come into contact with the little bot. "Uhmm... He's unwrapping the gifts. Maybe program some date reference in the future?" And he laughs at the cuteness.

Joan Wright has posed:
"I wouldn't be able to either." Joan admits. There's another chirping noise which causes for the architect to look over to Bailey's work that Caleb mentions. "Oh. Well you see, she accidentally ripped the paper on that one so she's replacing the paper with the one she just bought. "Personal responsibility is a must. No matter how you're built after all."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb Dykstra hehs, looking at Joan and then back to the little bot, "And one day, machines looking like people will be a commodity." He shakes his head in amazement, and looks back to Joan. "It's the next logical step, gotta be."

He looks at Sheila, who still seems fixated on the little bot, and he asks Joan, "You don't mind, just to keep my kid sister happy, that we join your table, do you? For the Christmas smile she deserves?"

Joan Wright has posed:
To the question Joan looks to the two empty seats in front of her and Bailey. "Sure. We're not using those seats. All for the smile."

Taking a moment, Joan looks back to Bailey's progress on the re-wrapping She had managed to get the new wrapping paper on quickly. All that was left was for her to get the ribbon on. "That's coming along quite nicely, Bailey."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb Dykstra takes a seat, and so does Sheila, who drinks her cocoa as she tries to have some interaction with Bailey from time to time. He observes, "So, Bailey is a learning AI? Like a child, it learns by doing things and hearing some words of encouragement?", he inquires.

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan tilts her head to the side giving a side glance. "Well. It's a little mixed in that area. Ted could probably go more into detail as he made them. But Bailey has a lot of knowledge already. She's different than most of them. She's more learning to express herself. Developing her own personality."

Another chirp.

"Okay." Joan agrees, leaning over to set a finger upon the ribbon. With a quick twists of the manipulators, the bot finishes tying the bow on. There's a bit of resistance from the tugging before Joan's finger is tugged from the center of the knot. But the bow remains intact. "That looks pretty, Bailey, I'm sure he'll appreciate that."

She looks over towards Caleb, "She's more family. I don't know if the encouragement is necessary but it seems to come naturally when interacting with her."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Ted... Kord?", Caleb looks at Joan, though it clearly doesn't hit him in the same way as a fan would. Moreover, the 'already encountered superheroes or their families' card has already been played with Divine (sorry, Ted!). "You know, he's kinda like an inspirational figure for me. It helped to get me into mechanics... and some improvisational tinkering." He points at the duffels he's set aside, and pulling one zipper, he shows that they're all filled with things like metal parts you'd find at a junkyard. "Christmas orders, so I'll se what nice things I can come up with."

Joan Wright has posed:
As Caleb asks the full name for confirmation, Joan gives a nod. "Yes that'd be him." She confirms, resting a hand on the table as Caleb describes the industry owner as an inspiration. High praise of loved ones is definitely the way to go. When Caleb gestures to the duffel to show the parts inside to illustrate his point, Joan takes a moment to look the contents before looking back to Caleb. "That's very nice to hear. I think Ted would be happy to hear he's had such a positive effect on someone." She glances to the bags, "Do you have any pictures or video of something you've made recently?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Pictures? Videos?" He shakes his head, "Sorry to disappoint. I don't keep a log, per se, except for when I need to work on something by trial and error. And even after that, I don't keep them for long." He sips on his beverage for a moment, warming his hands. "I keep what I know in here", he points to his head. "Safest vault in the universe, and what I know I'll take to my grave." Until the rogue telepath comes calling, but so far, none has showed up.

But notice how dark and cryptic that is, that even Sheila shudders and gives him a sidelong glance for the briefest of seconds. Focus back on the lil' bot, lets the grown-ups do the talk...

Joan Wright has posed:
"Well, I meant a finished product, not the full out schematics of how something was built." Joan explains herself apologetically, "You mentioned Christmas orders so I, apparently wrongfully, assumed them to be of the clever knick knack variety or clockwork type toys. I'm sorry."

Having finished wrapping the present, Bailey is looking over to the two adults but upon noticing Sheila looking to her, she uses her pink tipped manipulators to gesture to Sheila's fingernails.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Oh, no", Caleb laughs. "This is scrap metal, for kitchen appliances, engines, restoration parts. It's amazing what people throw away that you can put back together or repurpose. Metal? Circuits? Wood? A little more effort, and you can spare nature some headache."

He pauses for a moment, sizing up her trustworthiness; after a long second, he says, "Well, I guess I can tell you this, as long as it doesn't leave this table..." He leans forward. "How about an anti-abrasion suit?"

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan nods. "Ooh. Restoration. Now you're speaking my language." She pauses a moment to take a sip of her cocoa before setting the cup back down. "I am a restoration architect. I work with Damage Control to help make sure those historic buildings stay standing and with as much of the original parts as possible."

The cup starts to lift up before Caleb mentions a suit idea. "Something that doesn't wear away? How do you mean? Like the wearing down of parts through constant use or more of an armor approach?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"More like, trying to prevent someone from catching fire or wear themselves out at really high speeds", Caleb replies. "And that, without the fancy meta-materials that the top-notch of the elite are bound to have, you know?" He shrugs, "Iron is out of the question, so need to make it durable and resilient like so. Need to smooth out the whole surface for less drag, and coat it with something for gliding." He adds, "Then, the boots - common rubber soles are a big no-no, in case of braking..." The way he puts it, it's clear he's got his own challenges ahead...

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan considers the extra information. "So, something the Flash might want to wear but more cost efficient?" The architect considers the possibility. "Well, my focus is on buildings themselves but what I'd recommend is talking to others in your field to bounce ideas off of."

She pauses, "Do you have a card with a number? Maybe I could pass it along to someone to reach out to you?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb Dykstra thinks for a moment, and pulls a card from his pocket. "Do me a favor and be careful who you give this to. Last thing I need is attention from groups, and have psychos straight out of Arkham come knocking on my doorstep because they want explosives to blow up a Hospital, or Head of the Police Department, or the City Hall, or all of the above at the same time right down to the milisecond, you know?" He already gets enough action when it's Vittorelli or his henchmen telling him what to do.

Joan Wright has posed:
As the card is presented, Joan straightens up to reach over for the card. But the warning gets a curious look in return. There's a hesitance, more analyzing the statement itself before she responds, "...I only have one person in mind and they are of the very good variety. Will that be ok?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb Dykstra nods, "As long as nothing bad comes to me or mine, I'm cool with that." He smiles reassuringly to Sheila, and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan nods. "I understand." The architect pauses, thinking back to the prior statement. "The odd requests you mentioned before that you don't wish to receive. Is that something that regularly happens?"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
It's at this point that Caleb becomes as cryptic as it gets. "In Gotham, you either keep your nose clean, or they're gonna come ask you for favors. A favor here, a favor there..." He shrugs. "Now, if you're smart, you keep a good clientele like you keep your cards close to your chest in a poker session." He looks at Sheila, who is definetely listening - just trying to ignore it. Returning his attention to Joan. "I play my cards real close to my chest. Take that for what you will."

Joan Wright has posed:
The cryptic message gets cryptic silence in response. The architect looks to Caleb for a few moments before she nods, sliding the card into her pocket. "Well, I hope you're able to keep the nose clean. At least from this point on."

There's a chirp from Bailey, the tone a bit more urgent sounding than the ones before.

Joan looks over to Bailey before lifting up her phone just in time for it to buzz. There's a quick swipe and more silence. "You're right Bailey. It is nearing time."

The bot gives another chirp before floating up from her seat, manipulators picking up the newly wrapped gift gently. After putting the phone up, Joan busies herself with the remaining materials and the cup. "I must apologize. We have a meeting soon so we'll need to go. Best wishes to you two." Joan turns her head to look over to Sheila, "Also Bailey says that she thinks pastel pink would look great on you. Happy holidays you two."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb Dykstra offers a wave in good by, same for Sheila. "Likewise."